UFC middleweight Nick Catone (8-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) is nursing multiple injures and is unsure of when he’ll be back in the cage.

As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) reported Monday, the fighter was forced to withdraw from a scheduled fight with Tomasz Drawl (17-3-1 MMA, 3-2 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 22 on Sept. 15 and was replaced by Dave Branch (6-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC).

Catone will on Thursday undergo surgery for a long-running shoulder injury which derailed his preparation for Drwal. Additionally, he will get an epidural shot next week for his back, which he first injured in April.

“I just need to get healthy, man,” he said today. “I’ve been fighting through workouts and trying to take a day or two off here and there, and it’s just been getting worse and worse. I’m pretty bummed out about it because this is two in a row now that I’ve missed.”

Catone said his shoulder trouble began 18 months ago. After masking the pain with multiple cortisone shots, he realized he couldn’t wait any longer to fix the problem.

“It’s just at the point where it’s affecting my training,” he said. “I’ve got no strength in it.”

Cortisone is a powerful anti-inflammatory drug used for a variety of injuries and is commonly used by athletes.

The New Jersey native said he will undergo physical therapy after the procedure but couldn’t pinpoint a specific date in which he’ll be ready to return.

Meanwhile, he is scheduled to get the epidural shot – similar to a cortisone injection – to address pain from three herniated discs in his back. That injury forced him to withdraw from a scheduled bout with John Salter at UFC 113.

Prior to the Drawl booking, Catone expressed interest in dropping to the welterweight class, but the UFC had other ideas for his immediate future.

After training through the serious injuries, Catone said the the procedures are a clear sign that he needs to start training smarter and not harder. He won’t get back in the octagon until he feels healthy again.

“The fans like to see you get back in there, but I’m not even close to 100 percent,” Catone said. “Getting in there (at) 75 percent is not going to do me any good. I think it’s to the point where I’ve got to start getting smarter with my career.

“I don’t really take a lot of time off. When I first initially hurt my back with the three herniated discs, I was back in training two weeks later – just pad work and stuff, nothing crazy, but I just don’t think I gave it enough time.”

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